Patents Represented by Attorney Fletcher Yoder
  • Patent number: 7949181
    Abstract: The present techniques provide for the processing of color tissue images based on image segmentation. In an exemplary embodiment, the color and texture features of pixels in a tissue image are used to generate a matrix of feature vectors. A subset of feature vectors is selected from the matrix of feature vectors and a set of colors and textures are derived using the tissue image and the subset of feature vectors. An initial segmented tissue image is then generated from this set of colors and textures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Dirk Ryan Padfield, Manasi Datar, Harvey Cline
  • Patent number: 7948792
    Abstract: There are provided methods and devices for providing overdrive voltages to address lines to help prevent leakage current in semiconductor memories, such as configuration memories used with programmable logic devices. Specifically, for example, there is provided a memory that includes an array of memory cells. Each memory cell includes a retainer circuit. An access transistor is coupled to the retainer circuit. An overdrive voltage level may be applied to the access transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Andy L. Lee, Lu Zhou
  • Patent number: 7948744
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a multi-purpose flat panel display cover. One embodiment of the present invention may include a cover for a flat panel display, the cover comprising a shield portion configured to protect a flat panel display screen, and a handle portion coupled to the shield portion, wherein the cover is configured to hingedly couple with the flat panel display and rotate into a display support configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Will Bishop, Bill Bose, Michel Cadio, Mark Galambus
  • Patent number: 7946311
    Abstract: A preconditioned air hose includes an abrasion-resistant external layer made of robust nylon, an insulating layer, and an inner layer. The robust external layer protects the air hose from wear and degradation due to abrasion. The external layer may be made of a fabric with an abrasion resistance of at least 22,000 cycles to failure as measured using the ASTM D 3884 standard. This external layer fabric may be composed of filaments having a linear density of about 1,000 denier. The external layer fabric may weigh about 10.8 ounces per square yard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Hobart Brorthers Company
    Inventors: Scott Takayuki Kolzumi, Brian Michael Piety, William Taylor O'Connor
  • Patent number: 7944773
    Abstract: Methods of operating a memory device and memory devices are provided. For example, a method of operating a memory array is provided that includes a synchronous path and an asynchronous path. A Write-with-Autoprecharge signal is provided to the synchronous path, and various bank address signals are provided to the asynchronous path. In another embodiment, the initiation of the bank address signals may be provided asynchronously to the assertion of the Write-with-Autoprecharge signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Victor Wong, Alan Wilson, Christopher K. Morzano
  • Patent number: 7942020
    Abstract: Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems and multi-slab heat exchangers are provided that include fluid connections for transmitting fluid between groups of tubes. The fluid connections may include generally tubular members fluidly connected to manifold sections. The fluid connections also may include partitioned manifolds containing tubes of different heights. Multichannel tubes are also provided that include a bent section configured to locate a flow path near a leading edge of a tube within one section and near a trailing edge of the tube within another section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: John T. Knight, William L. Kopko, Stephen B. Pickle, Jose Ruel Yalung de la Cruz, Tony Clive Coleman, Mahesh Valiya-Naduvath
  • Patent number: 7943505
    Abstract: A four layer interconnect structure is disclosed which includes a bottom conductive reactive layer such as titanium, a conductive barrier layer, such as titanium nitride, a conductive layer, such as aluminum-copper alloy, and a top conductive barrier layer, such as titanium nitride. The interconnection structure can be fabricated using conventional sputter deposition technology. The resulting interconnection structure provides a highly conductive thin film structure that provides good contact to tungsten plugs with small contact dimensions, good patternability on fine lines, and good reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard E. Rhodes, Steven D. Cummings
  • Patent number: 7944738
    Abstract: A magnetic memory cell including a soft magnetic layer and a coupling layer, and methods of operating the memory cell are provided. The memory cell includes a stack with a free ferromagnetic layer and a pinned ferromagnetic layer, and a soft magnetic layer and a coupling layer may also be formed as layers in the stack. The coupling layer may cause antiferromagnetic coupling to induce the free ferromagnetic layer to be magnetized in a direction antiparallel to the magnetization of the soft magnetic layer, or the coupling layer may cause ferromagnetic coupling to induce the free ferromagnetic layer to be magnetized in a direction parallel to the magnetization of the soft magnetic layer. The coupling layer, through a coupling effect, reduces the critical switching current of the memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Liu, Gurtej Sandhu
  • Patent number: 7941758
    Abstract: A method for animating graphical objects is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a plurality of graphical objects and displaying a subset of the objects in a viewport. In this embodiment, the method may also include calculating a virtual destination for one of the graphical objects based on a received user input, and moving the graphical object to the virtual destination over a period of time. Various additional methods, machine-readable media, and devices for animating graphical objects and controlling operational characteristics of a device are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Tremblay
  • Patent number: 7940169
    Abstract: In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for tracking devices. The method for tracking devices comprises carrying a reading device to passively receive identification data from a transmitter without action on the part of the user. Additionally, the method comprises providing the identification data to a database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Paul Lawrence Mullen
  • Patent number: 7940978
    Abstract: The present techniques provide for the evaluation of cellular motion and/or cellular properties based on an analysis of motion. In an exemplary technique, images of one or more cells are acquired and motion data for the one or more cells is derived from the images. The motion data is decomposed to generate one or more motion components. The one or more motion components can be used to evaluate cellular properties and/or cellular motion properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jens Rittscher, Thomas B. Sebastian, Stewart E. Abbot
  • Patent number: 7938437
    Abstract: In a method for producing a weakened zone, in particular a predetermined breaking point for an airbag exit opening, in a carrier part equipped on the visible side with a decorative material, in particular a leather decoration, the carrier part is provided with a weakened section using first process, and weakening of the decorative material is performed through the weakened section of the carrier part using a second process. The weakening of the carrier part and the weakening of the decorative material taking place temporally close to one another, in particular at the same time. Furthermore, the invention relates to a component and an apparatus for carrying out the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Martin Lippert, Dieter Renner, Hartmut Harnisch
  • Patent number: 7936637
    Abstract: One or more techniques are provided for the synchronization of asynchronous signals without the use of an external system clock. In one embodiment, an asynchronous synchronization device is provided and configured to synchronize one or more asynchronous signals to an internal clock signal provided by an internal clock generator. The internal clock generator may be enabled upon detecting inputs on the one or more asynchronous signals, and disabled once the one or more asynchronous inputs are synchronized with the internal clock signal. Thus, the internal clock signal is provided only for a duration required to synchronize the one or more asynchronous signals. Embodiments of the asynchronous synchronization device, as disclosed herein, may be implemented in a processor-based device and/or a memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Aidan Shori
  • Patent number: 7936639
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for operating a memory device, including providing a timing signal comprising a plurality of clock cycles, providing an activate signal, and providing a bank address signal. An activate command executes on every first duration of clock cycles, and the bank address signal is high for at least a portion of the first duration of clock cycles. In one embodiment, the first duration of the activate signal is at least four clock cycles, and the bank address signal is at least one clock cycle. A memory device having a row decoder and an active driver is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Ben Ba, Victor Wong
  • Patent number: 7937374
    Abstract: A method of electronically administering instructions, includes receiving a new instruction; creating new instruction metadata from the new instruction; comparing the new instruction metadata to a data set of existing instruction metadata to identify existing instructions corresponding to the new instruction; determining whether the new instruction metadata indicates that the new instruction revises an existing instruction; comparing the new instruction to any corresponding existing instructions, where the new copy instruction metadata does not indicate that the new instruction revises an existing instruction, to determine if the new instruction revises the existing instructions; initiating revision workflow where the new instruction is determined to revise an existing instruction; and storing the new instruction metadata in the data set of existing instruction metadata and the new instruction in a corresponding data set of existing instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: NBCUniversal Media, LLC
    Inventors: Brian Patrick McGovern, Melinda Vulgaris Armenti, Vanessa Jean Cavorti, Lauren Elise Clement, Debanshu Debroy, Bradley Jay Epperson, Dang Hai Ly, Pamela Regan, Lisa Marie Spadaro
  • Patent number: 7932179
    Abstract: Present embodiments relate to a semiconductor device having a backside redistribution layer and a method for forming such a layer. Specifically, one embodiment includes providing a substrate comprising a via formed therein. The substrate has a front side and a backside. The embodiment may further include forming a trench on the backside of the substrate, disposing an insulating material in the trench, and forming a trace over the insulating material in the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Oliver, Warren Farnworth
  • Patent number: 7933162
    Abstract: Embodiments are provided that include a row decoder, including a row activation path, having a row address converter with an output coupled to an input of a section replacement detector. Further embodiments provide a method including mapping an external row address to an internal row address, wherein the internal row address comprises a section address, determining whether a section corresponding to the section address includes an error, and if the section includes an error, converting the internal row address to a redundant row address, wherein mapping the external row address to the internal row address is initiated prior to determining whether the section replacement should be performed. Further embodiments include a method for receiving a row address for a row in a memory section including a non-2^n number of normal rows and mapping the row address to a redundant row address by substracting a value from the row address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Takuya Nakanishi, Takumi Nasu, Yoshinori Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 7933849
    Abstract: System and method for managing a biofuel production process. An integrated dynamic multivariate predictive model is provided that includes a continuous process model representing a continuous process of the biofuel production process, a batch process model representing a batch process of the biofuel production process, and a continuous simulation framework. The batch process model interacts with the continuous process model as a nonlinear continuous process via the framework using bridging equations. An objective is received, as is constraint information specifying constraints for the biofuel production process, where the constraints are in terms of the framework, and process information related to the batch and continuous processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James F. Bartee, Maina A. Macharia, Patrick D. Noll, Michael E. Tay
  • Patent number: 7926864
    Abstract: A sun visor, such as for a vehicle, includes a spindle about which the sun visor may be pivoted and along which the sun visor may be displaced longitudinally. The spindle has a flattened portion. A latching-spring cage has a first pressure means. A tube receives a displaceable slide, while the slide receives the latching-spring cage, which in turn receives the spindle. A braking moment with regard to longitudinal displacement of the sun visor along the spindle is provided by second pressure means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Patrick Welter
  • Patent number: 7928833
    Abstract: A dynamic condition monitoring system is disclosed, such as for monitoring vibrations in complex machine systems. The system includes monitors on which server software is provided. The server software may access pre-defined graphical user interface pages that can be populated and served directly from the monitors. The data may be accessed via conventional networks for viewing and analyzing monitored data, as well as for configuration of the individual dynamic condition monitors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David J. Bibelhausen, Thomas Lee Alford, George F. Hofer